The present invention relates to an image photographing system and a data management device.
A digital image photographing system such as a digital camera etc for recording an image of an object in the form of digital data, is now generally used. The digital image photographing system is constructed such that the digital image data generated by a multiplicity of CCD imaging devices or MOS imaging devices (which will hereinafter simply be referred to as imaging devices), are stored in a built-in memory and a sub storage unit. A user is able to confirm the stored digital image data by displaying the same data on a liquid crystal display. further, the user transfers the digital image data of a photographed image to a personal computer etc, and may manage the data as a file of the computer.
Moreover, there is proposed a digital image photographing system of such a type that a so-called mobile terminal is connected to a digital camera (CCD camera), and the digital image data of the photographed image are recorded directly on a storage device of the mobile terminal.
In this type of digital image photographing system, the digital image formed on the imaging device is normally displayed in real time on a liquid crystal display. Then, upon detecting a photographing instruction given from the user, the digital image photographing system takes in the digital image formed on the imaging device at that time, and records the image on the memory or the sub storage medium.
In this type of digital image photographing system, however, if the user attempts to confirm the photographed image, the recorded image data are read from the memory etc and displayed on the liquid crystal display, and hence there is a necessity of switching a screen from a normal photographing mode to a management mode. Note that this management mode is possible of edit operations such as displaying and deleting the recorded image data, and changing a display order thereof.
That is, a real time image is displayed in the photographing mode, while in the management mode, the image data (still image) obtained is displayed or deleted and the display order is changed.
Then, the screen corresponding to each of those modes can be switched corresponding to a changeover of mode. Therefore, the realtime image is merely displayed when in the photographing mode, and the user is unable to grasp what sort of photographed image data exists.
Further, it is required that the photographing mode be switched to the management mode for the edit operation such as changing the display order of the photographed image data, resulting in a low usability.
Moreover, as explained above, in the digital camera etc, the digital image data on the imaging device is stored on the memory etc at a timing specified by the user, and therefore the user does not sense the real photographing in some cases.
Furthermore, in the personal computer and the mobile terminal for managing generally data such as the image data and so on, a data list is displayed using an index image involving the use of a reduced image and a name of file (which will hereinafter be called a data identifying element) stored with the data. A display order is, however, determined by sorting the data with pre-defined keys such as a file name, a date etc. Further, if the data that should be managed is newly added, this piece of data is placed in its display order at a tail of the data managed.
Therefore, if the user wishes to display the data in a desired order and thus manages the data, the user must intentionally set the key, e.g., the file name for determining the display order.
Moreover, if there are a multiplicity of items of data to be managed, it is difficult to display all the items of data on one screen. In such a case, if a new piece of data to be managed is added, the added data is to be displayed at a tail of a list of the data identifying elements. Hence, it might happen that the newly added data is not displayed within the list of data identifying elements displayed on the screen at the present. Accordingly, the user must display the vicinity of the tail of the data identifying element list by scrolling the screen in order to confirm the added data concerned.